Silent Wishes

Arya’s POV

“Okay girl, we're going out!”

I looked at my best friend Julia like she had grown two extra heads. 

I had just finished an eight hour shift at the restaurant. The last thing on my mind was to go out to some place filled with sweaty and thirsty men. 

Sprawling lazily on her couch, I threw some chips into my mouth.“I think I'll sit this one out.”

“Sorry, what did you say?” she asked, putting a hand behind her ear. “Almost sounded like you said you'll sit this one out.” 

“Yeah I said-” 

“Alright now pick a dress girl, don't waste my time.” 

“Julessssssss,” I whined while kicking my feet like a little girl. “I'm really not up for it.” 

“Yes you are, now get your ass up and go get ready. A new club just opened down the street and we're gonna be its first customers.”

Oh why did I even bother? She was always going to win. 

Julia was the sister I never had. We had known each other since we were little and we had similar lives. 

My mom left when I was a kid, shortly after my dad died. Though I still had my grandma, Julia was an orphan and had no one. She had lost her parents in a car crash. 

We were both struggling to survive and had each other to fall back on in our different times of grief. 

I remember it like it was yesterday. The day my father died and my mother became a whole new person. She had dropped me with my grandma one day, promising to come back to get me. I never saw her again. 

My grandma is all I've ever known. The only family I had left. And I loved her so much, even after she was diagnosed with kidney failure and I had to work my ass off everyday to be able to pay the medical bills which I could barely afford. 

“Okay.” I said finally giving in. “But I'm not drinking though!”

“Oh baby girl, we are gonna get so drunk we'd need help getting our asses back home.” 

I couldn't help the laughter that erupted from my chest. Typical Julia. 

After taking a shower, I got dressed as Jules did my hair and makeup. I stared at myself in awe. She had curled my hair beautifully and beat my face to perfection. 

I stood and walked to the floor length mirror, taking in my reflection. The shiny black dress clung to my body in all the right places. It was so short that if I bent over a bit, you were sure to get a view. 

“This is scandalous.” I laughed as I desperately tried pulling it down but it was pointless.  

“You, my girl, are gonna get some tonight.” Julia teased, slapping my ass as she walked over to put on her heels. 

“No. I'm celibate remember?” I said, giving her a side eye. 

“And I'm Mark Zuckerberg. Girl let's go.” 

I let out a dramatic gasp. “Is my celibacy journey a joke to you? I am-”

The sound of my ringtone interrupted me. I didn't recognise the caller but I answered anyway.

“Hello?” 

“Miss White?” the lady at the end of the line spoke. 

“Yes, this is her,” I replied. 

“Good evening, it's Sarah from Greenhouse.”

 My eyes widened immediately. What day is it?

 “I wanted to remind you of your grandmother's payment. You're two days late and that needs to be sorted before her next session.”

Shit. Shit. Shit. I almost forgot about that. I looked at Julia in panic. 

“I… Uh… I'm so sorry, I'll get that to you by tomorrow.” I said apologetically as I hung up the phone. 

I face palmed myself. My life was a mess.

How could I forget that the payment for my grandmother's dialysis treatment was due already?

 I sighed in frustration. “This shit is tiring.” 

“You've worked your ass off all week, we both have, and we deserve a little something to take that edge off, okay?” Julia said softly as she squeezed my hand in reassurance. 

I nodded, giving her a small smile. This call almost ruined my mood, but I was going to try to have a good time. I was guessing that wasn't going to be so hard, with Julia by my side. 

“Six shots of tequila please!” I yelled to the bartender over the loud music. 

Immediately we arrived at the club I had gone straight to the bar. This was the first step to having a good time. 

We gulped down three shots each as we moved to the dance floor, letting the alcohol take control over our bodies. 

I wished for more days like this. Days that I could be loud and free, without a care in the world. But I couldn't afford to. I didn't have the luxury to be care-free and to do whatever I wanted. 

I had to work ten times harder than everybody else, just to survive. Sometimes, I wondered if things would have been different if my mother never left. 

I wished I could see her again. Not because I miss her. She was dead to me. I wanted to tell her how much she failed in her responsibilities as a mother. Leaving at such a crucial time, a couple weeks after my dad's death. 

I wondered if she had started a little family of her own wherever she was. While I was here, doing everything I could while grandma was slowly dying. 

“Ari!” I was pulled out of my train of thoughts. 

“That guy seems to be checking you out!” Jules yelled into my ears, pointing over to someone at the corner of the room. 

I let my eyes wander in the direction she was pointing. Then I saw him. 

Time seemed to stop for a moment. I was met with a pair of eyes staring back at me. They weren't warm, yet I couldn't look away. 

He was dressed in a suit that hugged his broad shoulders. His jet black hair framed his face, slightly messy, but still managed to look perfect.

“Who wears a suit to a club?” I turned to Julia only to see her making out with some guy. I let out a sigh as I turned my attention back to the mystery guy.

He sat at the bar, twirling a cup in his hand. A couple silver rings adorned his fingers. 

I watched as he brought the cup to his lips slowly as he took a sip, never breaking eye contact. 

His gaze held mine firmly and his lips curled into a faint smirk, as if daring me to look away first.

 Maybe it was just the alcohol but my body reacted before my mind could and I found myself walking towards the direction of his gaze. 

His eyes glistened with interest as I stopped beside him, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from him. 

My breath hitched as his eyes flicked to my lips before they moved back to my eyes. It was slow and intentional.

“Drink?” He asked, his voice rich and smooth. He turned to talk to the bartender as I caught sight of the faint tattoo behind his ear. 

“Careful,” he said.  

I gave him a confused look. 

“You're staring.”

“No I'm not.” I denied, collecting my drink. 

“You were.” 

“You started it.” I shot back, bringing the cup to my lips.

 I watched as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, his gaze following my lips as I took a sip. I smirked in satisfaction.

“Did I?” He asked, turning to face me fully. I suppose that was a rhetorical question but I found myself nodding anyway. “Then I guess I should finish it.”

I dropped my cup after emptying the content as he slid his card forward to the bartender, our fingers brushing in the process. 

He didn't ask if I wanted to leave with him. He just simply tilted his head and said, “Come with me.”